Wormlike Animals
183
Amphinomids, or "fire" worms, are large lazy polychaetes. They live
under stones on reef flats. Their epidermis is covered by fine, brittle and
very poisonous needles. They are predators. The most common of them are:
Eurithoe complanata, E. chilensis, Amphinomeflave, A. rostrata, Notopygos
megalops, Hermodyce carunculata. The latter feeds on scleractinian corals,
and lives in holes, which it bores in their living colonies (Marsden 1962).
The sedentary polychaetes are represented in reef bottom biotopes
mainly by the families: Serpulidae, Sabellidae, Spionidae, Terebellidae,
Capilellidae, Chaetopteridae. Most of them are fine filter-feeders and feed
mainly on bacterioplankton and or small phytoplankton.
One of the most common genus among them is Spirobris, family
Serpulidae. Spirobrises are large worms living in lime tubes incrusted into
the coral colony. The diameter of their tubes measures 5 to 15 mm. The
trochophore larvae of spirobris settle on dead or damaged places of coral
colonies. After the metamorphosis the young worms start to construct their
tubes, which grow together with the growing coral colony, but a little faster,
so that the edge of the tube is permanently elevated above the colony's
surface. Thus the worm escapes aggression from the host's polyps. At the
head of this polychaete a sophisticated and stunningly beautiful double
spiral-shaped filtering device is situated. It is formed by the mouth tentacles
covered with ciliated epithelium. The spirobrises often form rather dense
populations in the old colonies of massive corals. The surface of such corals
seems to be covered with beautiful flowers. In fact, the spirobrises are one
of the most remarkable decorations of a reef. Their common species are:
Spirobris gigantea and S. nautiloides. Other serpulids construct meandering
lime tubes on the surfaces of stones and rocks of sublittoral and outer slope
zones. Their size is 5-30 mm. Sometimes their tubes form quite a layer on
the surface of rocks. Their common species are: Hydroides longispinosa, H.
exaltatus, Pomoceros sp., and Serpula vermicularia.
The sabellids are usually large polychaetes, which live in soft but very
firm tubes. They inhabit the soft bottom, where they form sometimes very
dense populations. Their filtering apparatus is formed by straight long
feathered tentacles. On being endangered, the worm instantly hides in its
tube. Their mass species are: Megalomma vesiculatum, M. binoculatum,
Sabella microphthalma, S. melanostigma, Hypsicomus phaetothaenia.
The spionid worms construct permanent or temporary tubes or holes in
soft bottom substrates. Some of them (Polydora) bore in the heads of dead
corals. The head end of the worm is furnished with fine flexibl~ tentacles
covered with cilia. The tentacles are used by the worm to collect detritus
that settles around the hole. They also may use their tentacles for filtration
and for sedimentary feeding. As common species of reef spionids could be
mentioned: Malacoleros indicus, Prionospio cirrifera, Polydora armata, P.
antennata, Pseudopolydora reishi, and Boccardia polybranchia.
The habits of the terebellids are similar to those of the spionids. They
construct their tube homes in soft bottom, under the boulders, in heads of
dead corals. At the apical end of their bodies they have fans of fine ciliated
183
Amphinomids, or "fire" worms, are large lazy polychaetes. They live
under stones on reef flats. Their epidermis is covered by fine, brittle and
very poisonous needles. They are predators. The most common of them are:
Eurithoe complanata, E. chilensis, Amphinomeflave, A. rostrata, Notopygos
megalops, Hermodyce carunculata. The latter feeds on scleractinian corals,
and lives in holes, which it bores in their living colonies (Marsden 1962).
The sedentary polychaetes are represented in reef bottom biotopes
mainly by the families: Serpulidae, Sabellidae, Spionidae, Terebellidae,
Capilellidae, Chaetopteridae. Most of them are fine filter-feeders and feed
mainly on bacterioplankton and or small phytoplankton.
One of the most common genus among them is Spirobris, family
Serpulidae. Spirobrises are large worms living in lime tubes incrusted into
the coral colony. The diameter of their tubes measures 5 to 15 mm. The
trochophore larvae of spirobris settle on dead or damaged places of coral
colonies. After the metamorphosis the young worms start to construct their
tubes, which grow together with the growing coral colony, but a little faster,
so that the edge of the tube is permanently elevated above the colony's
surface. Thus the worm escapes aggression from the host's polyps. At the
head of this polychaete a sophisticated and stunningly beautiful double
spiral-shaped filtering device is situated. It is formed by the mouth tentacles
covered with ciliated epithelium. The spirobrises often form rather dense
populations in the old colonies of massive corals. The surface of such corals
seems to be covered with beautiful flowers. In fact, the spirobrises are one
of the most remarkable decorations of a reef. Their common species are:
Spirobris gigantea and S. nautiloides. Other serpulids construct meandering
lime tubes on the surfaces of stones and rocks of sublittoral and outer slope
zones. Their size is 5-30 mm. Sometimes their tubes form quite a layer on
the surface of rocks. Their common species are: Hydroides longispinosa, H.
exaltatus, Pomoceros sp., and Serpula vermicularia.
The sabellids are usually large polychaetes, which live in soft but very
firm tubes. They inhabit the soft bottom, where they form sometimes very
dense populations. Their filtering apparatus is formed by straight long
feathered tentacles. On being endangered, the worm instantly hides in its
tube. Their mass species are: Megalomma vesiculatum, M. binoculatum,
Sabella microphthalma, S. melanostigma, Hypsicomus phaetothaenia.
The spionid worms construct permanent or temporary tubes or holes in
soft bottom substrates. Some of them (Polydora) bore in the heads of dead
corals. The head end of the worm is furnished with fine flexibl~ tentacles
covered with cilia. The tentacles are used by the worm to collect detritus
that settles around the hole. They also may use their tentacles for filtration
and for sedimentary feeding. As common species of reef spionids could be
mentioned: Malacoleros indicus, Prionospio cirrifera, Polydora armata, P.
antennata, Pseudopolydora reishi, and Boccardia polybranchia.
The habits of the terebellids are similar to those of the spionids. They
construct their tube homes in soft bottom, under the boulders, in heads of
dead corals. At the apical end of their bodies they have fans of fine ciliated